Lake Placid Will Be Plan B for Winter Olympics

Italian 2026 Winter Olympic organisers have named American ski resort Lake Placid as their "Plan B", should work on the new bobsleigh slope at Cortina d'Ampezzo not be ready in time.

- AFP

Italian 2026 Winter Olympic organisers have named American ski resort Lake Placid as their "Plan B", should work on the new bobsleigh slope at Cortina d'Ampezzo not be ready in time.

The next Games are spread over two venues, with Milan hosting the ski events and Cortina the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions.

After concerns, Cortina is officially back on track to confound doubters and win its race to be completed for the upcoming Olympics only 13 months away.

The more upbeat vibe around Cortina will come as a relief to all Italian fans of winter sliding sports, and also the Italian government led by Giorgia Meloni.

After initially picking Cortina d'Ampezzo following the awarding of the 2026 Winter Games to Italy, work began on the slope only in February 2024, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) warning that no such venue had ever been built "in such a short time".